Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

विद्वेष रागरहिता अनुतिष्ठंति यं मुने । विद्वांसस्तं सदाचारं धर्ममूलं विदुर्बुधाः

Transliteration

vidveṣa rāgarahitā anutiṣṭhaṃti yaṃ mune | vidvāṃsastaṃ sadācāraṃ dharmamūlaṃ vidurbudhāḥ

Translation

ഹേ മുനേ, ജ്ഞാനികൾ ദ്വേഷവും രാഗവും വിട്ട് അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്ന ആ ചര്യയെയാണ് ബുദ്ധിമാന്മാർ ധർമ്മത്തിന്റെ മൂലമായ സദാചാരമെന്ന് അറിയുന്നത്.

Word by Word

• विद्वेष: hatred
• विद्वेष: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समास/योगे पूर्वपदवत्; अर्थतः 'विद्वेषं' अपेक्षितम्)

• रागरहिताः: free from attachment
• रागरहिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राग (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रागेन रहिताः = free from attachment)

• अनुतिष्ठन्ति: practise, follow
• अनुतिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + √स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• यम्: whom/which
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विद्वांसः: the learned
• विद्वांसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक; √विद् (धातु) + वस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सदाचारम्: good conduct
• सदाचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• धर्ममूलम्: the root of dharma
• धर्ममूलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य मूलम् = root of dharma)

• विदुः: know, regard
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• बुधाः: the wise
• बुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage (muni) and the broader assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addresses a disciple by the Ganga; two symbolic figures—Rāga and Dveṣa—fade into mist as the disciple adopts a calm, centered posture; a dharma-tree motif shows roots labeled 'sadācāra'.

Characters & Entities

• Muni (listener, unspecified)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma begins with conduct performed without attachment or aversion—inner purity expresses itself as sadācāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa discourse; it teaches universal dharma rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual is specified; the prescription is inner discipline—acting without rāga (attachment) and dveṣa (hatred).